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Category Archives: Psalm

My God is…Great Psalm 96:3-5

11 Feb

Psalm 96:3-5 Declare his glory among the nations,young-people-clapping
his marvelous works among all the peoples!
For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.

Declare his glory among the nations

The other day during my Bible study (I think I mentioned it in another blog post), I learned more about God’s glory. Glory is God being revealed. That is why Jesus is the fullness of God’s glory while at the same time, I can reflect God’s glory. I can, through my actions, help people to know God more fully. This was a revelation to me. Previously I had thought that giving God glory was the same as praising Him. Saying God is good, or thanking Him for what He has done, and while it does include those things, it includes them as a way to show and reveal more of God. Every song with glory in it now has a deeper, fuller meaning for me. I want to declare His glory among all the nations.

His marvelous works among all the peoples

I remember a few years back when I was reading the book Pivot, by Dr. Alan Zimmerman, there was an exercise at the end of one of the chapters that had you write down all the blessings you could think of in your life. I, who can be a relatively negative person (my husband doesn’t call me the cheerful pessimist for nothing), found too many to fill a page. It was astonishing to me all the things I had begun to take for granted. All of the things the Lord had provided me with, blessed me with and the things for which I was now responsible were written on the page. No, that’s probably not true. I probably forgot some. There were more than what I had written down. The good things the Lord had provided me with were too many for me to recount. If you have never done an exercise like this, I suggest you do. Do it now. I won’t be offended if you stop reading here. I think it’s too important to recognize all we’ve been given.

For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be feared above all gods

great  /grāt/

Adjective – Of an extent, amount, or intensity considerably above the normal or average.

Noun – A great or distinguished person.

Adverb –  Excellently; very well.

Considerably above the normal or average

Our God isn’t some made up God. He is Great. He is above all gods. By the definition of great, God is considerably above the normal or average. He’s not just a little bit above, considerably above. God is God. He is great, and He deserves our praise.

For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.

Sadly we often choose to make things other than God great. We make people, relationships, addictions, greed and so much more increasingly important until they actually replace God at the top of our list. Today in my Bible Study I read in Isaiah how God felt about the false gods, and how crazy it made those that worshiped them seem. Bear with me as I share with you these verses, Isaiah 44: 6-23. Especially take not of verses 9 and 19. Those are the verses that really stuck out to me.

The Lord, Not Idols

6 “This is what the Lord says—
Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty:
I am the first and I am the last;
apart from me there is no God.
7 Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it.
Let him declare and lay out before me
what has happened since I established my ancient people,
and what is yet to come—
yes, let them foretell what will come.
8 Do not tremble, do not be afraid.
Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago?
You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me?
No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.”

9 All who make idols are nothing,
and the things they treasure are worthless.
Those who would speak up for them are blind;
they are ignorant, to their own shame.
10 Who shapes a god and casts an idol,
which can profit nothing?
11 People who do that will be put to shame;
such craftsmen are only human beings.
Let them all come together and take their stand;
they will be brought down to terror and shame.

12 The blacksmith takes a tool
and works with it in the coals;
he shapes an idol with hammers,
he forges it with the might of his arm.
He gets hungry and loses his strength;
he drinks no water and grows faint.
13 The carpenter measures with a line
and makes an outline with a marker;
he roughs it out with chisels
and marks it with compasses.
He shapes it in human form,
human form in all its glory,
that it may dwell in a shrine.
14 He cut down cedars,
or perhaps took a cypress or oak.
He let it grow among the trees of the forest,
or planted a pine, and the rain made it grow.
15 It is used as fuel for burning;
some of it he takes and warms himself,
he kindles a fire and bakes bread.
But he also fashions a god and worships it;
he makes an idol and bows down to it.
16 Half of the wood he burns in the fire;
over it he prepares his meal,
he roasts his meat and eats his fill.
He also warms himself and says,
“Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.”
17 From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
he bows down to it and worships.
He prays to it and says,
“Save me! You are my god!”
18 They know nothing, they understand nothing;
their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see,
and their minds closed so they cannot understand.
19 No one stops to think,
no one has the knowledge or understanding to say,
“Half of it I used for fuel;
I even baked bread over its coals,
I roasted meat and I ate.
Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left?
Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”
20 Such a person feeds on ashes; a deluded heart misleads him;
he cannot save himself, or say,
“Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?”

21 “Remember these things, Jacob,
for you, Israel, are my servant.
I have made you, you are my servant;
Israel, I will not forget you.
22 I have swept away your offenses like a cloud,
your sins like the morning mist.
Return to me,
for I have redeemed you.”

23 Sing for joy, you heavens, for the Lord has done this;
shout aloud, you earth beneath.
Burst into song, you mountains,
you forests and all your trees,
for the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
he displays his glory in Israel.

What’s so great?

 
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Posted by on February 11, 2013 in My God is Great, Psalm

 

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My God is…Lord Psalm 16:2

08 Feb

Psalm 16:2 – I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;

Excuse me, Your God is Showing.

Excuse me, Your God is Showing.

I have no good apart from you.”

Let’s take a look at the word Lord:

1lord  noun \ˈlȯrd\ definition of LORD

1: one having power and authority over others:

a: a ruler by hereditary right or preeminence to whom service and obedience are due

b: one of whom a fee or estate is held in feudal tenure

c: an owner of land or other real property

d obsolete: the male head of a household

e:husband

f: one that has achieved mastery or that exercises leadership or great power in some area <a drug lord

2 capitalized: god
b: jesus

3: a man of rank or high position: as

a: a feudal tenant whose right or title comes directly from the king

b: a British nobleman: as
(1): baron 2a
(2): a hereditary peer of the rank of marquess, earl, or viscount
(3): the son of a duke or a marquess or the eldest son of an earl
(4): a bishop of the Church of England

c plural capitalized: house of lords

4—used as a British title: as

a —used as part of an official title <Lord Advocate> <LordMayor>

b —used informally in place of the full title for a marquess, earl, or viscount

c —used for a baron

d —used by courtesy before the name and surname of a younger son of a duke or a marquess

5: a person chosen to preside over a festival

One having power and authority over others

My God is Lord, and He has authority over me. He is the great authority. When you think about someone being the authority on a topic, it’s someone who has worked with something a long time or is the creator or that item. God is the authority on you. He created you, He knows you better than you know yourself. But I don’t think that’s the kind of thing it’s talking about here. God has the power and authority to make things happen. He can change things, if it’s His will. He can make things happen. Nothing can become greater than it’s creator, and so it is with God. He created us and is bigger, smarter and more than we’ll ever be. He is outside of all measurement.

A man of rank or high position
God by way of being God is in the ultimate high position. There is none that outrank Him. But sometimes in our lives, we don’t act like He is Lord. That He is the one with authority in our lives or even that we treat Him with honor. We are called to give God glory in all we do, but sometimes our selfish interests get in the way. Maybe we ignore the nudge from God to get up on a Sunday morning and attend worship. Maybe we don’t give the money back when we’re given too much in change. Maybe we focus more on pleasing our spouses or significant others instead of showing God that He is truly in the highest position in our heart. To put this idea in context, I’ve heard people say, “How would you prepare for a visit from the President of the United States?” Even if you don’t like the president in power, most likely you would still show him the respect the position holds, and maybe even be proud he came to see you. Now how do you prepare your heart and home for the One of Highest Position? What efforts do you make in your relationship with the Most Important? I don’t know about you, but it makes me think about some of my choices each day. If I could actually see God as residing in my heart and my home, physically, would I be doing anything differently? I’m guessing I would. Would you?

My Lord, My Master, My Father
How blessed are we that the one who is all-powerful, of the highest rank and position and holds all authority is also the one who adopted me into His family, so that I might benefit from the saving grace of Jesus Christ. I am not a slave, but a child of God, serving not out of duty, but out of love. May we be blessed with continuing faith in the God who is Lord of all.

I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”

The second half of this verse says it all really. My value, my purpose and my spirit are nothing without the Lord. I am God’s child, and when left to my own devices, I am hopeless. I fail, I’m mean, I sin. With the Lord I am saved, purposeful, blessed, encouraging. When my focus isn’t on God, you can tell. It shows in my actions. I want my God to show. I want God to get the glory in my life. I want it to be obvious that there is something different in my life that gives my life meaning. Maybe next time I see someone doing good, I’ll say, “Your God is showing.”

Is your God showing?
 
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Posted by on February 8, 2013 in My God is Lord, Psalm

 

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My God is…with us Psalm 46:10-11

30 Jan

Psalm 46:10-11 – Be still, and know that I am God.Listen
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Being alone can be scary

As a kid did you ever have that moment when you realized you were the last one to be picked up after a game or at school. Did your parents forget? Did they not care? You look around only to see the teacher who was relegated to stay until you were picked up looking at their watch for the 1000th time. When would they show up? Where are they? What was more important than picking me up? Maybe you even got a little panicked. Maybe you worried they wouldn’t show up. (I was good at creating worst case scenarios in my mind – so I’m sure I thought they were in an accident and would never make it back).

Usually my sister or my parents were around, but during my teenage years, there were times when I was the only one in the house. I could really freak myself out. I would sometimes call my grandpa just to feel like someone knew where I was and could talk me down from my fears. (Do I sound neurotic?).

We’re not alone

The truth is, we’re not alone. Never. God is with us. That means no matter where we go, we can reach out for comfort and encouragement. Even when we as adults find ourselves feeling very alone with many people around us. The amount of people in our vicinity doesn’t have much to do with our feeling alone or not. The beauty of God being with us is that He actually has the power to change things. He can make our situation different. He can do it immediately if He wants too, or it might take a little while (probably while I learn patience or endurance or trusting in Him). But He is always there, and always hears our prayers.

Still feel alone

Some of you are probably thinking to yourselves, “Sure, that sounds great, but how do I feel God with me?” That comes in the beginning of our scripture for today. “Be still and know that I am God.” In America, we’re not accustomed to being still. In fact it takes practice, and can feel really uncomfortable at first. But God says in this verse that if we are still we will know He is God. In addition reading scriptures, calling out to Him in your times of need (like I would call my grandpa), or listening to Christian music can all help to remind us of our ever-present God.

Do you know how to be still?

 
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Posted by on January 30, 2013 in My God is With Us, My God is with You, Psalm

 

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My God is a Sun Psalm 84:11

21 Jan

Psalm 84:11 – For the Lord God is a sun and shield; Morning web
the Lord bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does he withhold
from those who walk uprightly.

What is that? That bright thing in the sky?

I live in Oregon, and this morning my son looks out the window and says, “What’s that bright thing in the sky?”. Now he is thirteen, so it was really a joke, but here in Oregon, we don’t take the sun lightly. As I sit here writing this, the sun is shining directly in my eyes. If I look up, I have to quickly look away. My eyes can’t handle the brightness. Like Moses on the Mountain, God’s radiance is like the sun, too great for us to look at without being blinded by its brightness.

What is the purpose of the sun? 

The purpose of the sun is to give us light here on earth. It is to allow us to see the evils that linger in the dark, and to remove the dirt and gunk that has built up in our lives. Ever taken a flashlight to look into a dark part of your home, only to find out that it’s incredibly dusty or dirty? God is that sunlight. He helps us to see into our lives, into the dark recesses of our lives (where we don’t really want to look). When we see the dust, we have to decide whether to get rid of it, or pretend it isn’t there.

Cleaning out the cobwebs

In our entryway, there is a chandelier of sorts hanging from the ceiling, and suddenly when there is sunshine coming through the top windows, you become keenly aware of the cobwebs that have formed on that light fixture. As we get to know God more, His Sunlight shines and we see the cobwebs of sin that were not visible before building that relationship with Him. Some of the cobwebs and dust you can get rid of easily, others you have to work a little harder at removing. Sins are the same way, some are easy to break, but others are harder to reach and be truly rid of in your life.

Watch out for spiders

God is using the light to shine on cobwebs of sin in our lives, not to point them out and to make you feel guilty, but instead to make sure you don’t get stuck in them and eaten by the evil one, the devil. He wants you to be free from your sins, not trapped by them, and shining His Sunshine on them allows us the freedom to avoid those sins in the future, and remove the guilt that still lingers.

Don’t ignore what you see

It’s true here in Oregon, that if you ignore the cobwebs, they may not be visible again for a while. Who knows when we’ll get more sun. In our Christian lives it would be a travesty to have God’s Sunlight and then not have it. We don’t want to hope to not be convicted by the Lord and His Sunlight, but instead like Oregonians, run out into the Sun to soak up every blessing He has for us.

Are you soaking up the Sun?

 
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Posted by on January 21, 2013 in My God is a Sun, Psalm

 

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My God is…Awesome Psalm 68:35

16 Jan

Psalm 68:35 awesome compliment

You, God, are awesome in your sanctuary;
the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people.

Praise be to God!

 

Our God is an awesome God

I don’t know if you’re like me, but when I hear someone say our God is an awesome God, my brain instantly goes to the song of the same name.

AWESOME GOD LYRICS – MICHAEL W. SMITH

You can listen to it here http://youtu.be/38V8jnN1Kpw (just got chills rewatching it).

When He rolls up His sleeves
He ain’t just puttin’ on the Ritz
(our God is an awesome God)
There is thunder in His footsteps
And lightning in His fist
(our God is an awesome God)
Well, the Lord wasn’t joking
When He kicked ’em out of Eden
It wasn’t for no reason that He shed his blood
His return is very close and so you better be believing
that our God is an awesome God

REFRAIN
Our God(our God) is an awesome God
He reigns(He reigns) from heaven above
With wisdom(with wisdom) pow’r and love
our God is an awesome God

And when the sky was starless in the void of the night
(our God is an awesome God)
He spoke into the darkness and created the light
(our God is an awesome God)
Judgment and wrath he poured out on Sodom
Mercy and grace He gave us at the cross
I hope that we have not too quickly forgotten that
our God is an awesome God

Refrain x3

Our God is an awesome God
Our God is an awesome God
(Our God is an awesome God)
(Our God is an awesome God)

The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people.

That is an amazing song, and through out the song we see so many ways that our God is awesome. But it is the scripture selected for today that has the message I want highlighted. He is awesome and gives power and strength to His people. I have quite a few friends who are going through some big things in their lives right now. Turmoil in their families, pain and suffering because of ailments and injuries, stress and discord at work, or even lack of money to sustain themselves and their family. But the God of Israel provides us with power and strength to persevere and run the good race.

Press on!

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

Letting go of the hurts of the past, is not easy, as it’s described as straining in these verses. We have to strain forward, battling through the painful things that are going on now while forgetting what lies behind. In our Tuesday night Bible study, It said that forgetting in this verse didn’t mean, not remembering exactly. Instead it meant “not letting it have an effect”. In the same way that God remembers our sins no more, we are to forget or not let our past have an ill effect on us any longer. That’s not easy, and it often does come with strain. For me that meant going to a counselor and baring my soul (not to say that I’m in great shape now – long way to go yet). That was a strain. It’s not easy to confess all that has been bringing you pain, whether your fault or someone else’s, it’s not easy to forget (or forgive). But God gives us all that we need to attain this goal, starting with His example. May we strive to be more like Him.

Where do you get your power and strength?

 
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Posted by on January 16, 2013 in My God is awesome, Psalm

 

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My God is…Trustworthy Psalm 111:6-8

18 Dec

Psalm 111:6-8 He has shown his people the power of his works,

Who do you trust?

Who do you trust?

giving them the lands of other nations.
The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy.
They are established for ever and ever,
enacted in faithfulness and uprightness.

A name you can trust 

When we lived in England, there was a commercial that always ended “A name you can trust” (yes it’s true I can’t remember what the commercial was for, but I remember the catch phrase). People are always trying to get us to trust them. They want to be believed. They want people to understand and identify with them.

Who do you trust? 

I trust people who have proven themselves to be trustworthy. My parents – I trust them wholeheartedly. They have always been reliable. I can come to them with any problem, and they will be there for me. They’ve proven their trustworthiness through their consistent love and care for me. Did I always think what they wanted me to do was the right thing for me at the time? No. Sometimes they seemed unreasonable, strict and maybe even controlling, but I was always shown to be wrong. Their actions worked for my best interest. Now they’re not perfect, but they are trustworthy.

Why do you trust? 

Do you trust people blindly? Are you unforgiving? Do you think just because someone doesn’t agree with you that they’re not trustworthy? Truth is, people are not always trustworthy. They fail us. They are sinful. But the Truth is God is trustworthy. He does follow through on His precepts. This world is full of evil, but for those who believe we look beyond the here and now towards our future in heaven with Him. We trust that while we live on this imperfect world, God is still active and moving us towards Him and away from the evil of this world.

Finding Comfort in His word

Psalm 111 is a great Psalm talking about God & His trustworthiness. I hope you find it a blessing this morning.

Psalm 111[a]

1 Praise the Lord.[b]

I will extol the Lord with all my heart
in the council of the upright and in the assembly.

2 Great are the works of the Lord;
they are pondered by all who delight in them.
3 Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
and his righteousness endures forever.
4 He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
the Lord is gracious and compassionate.
5 He provides food for those who fear him;
he remembers his covenant forever.

6 He has shown his people the power of his works,
giving them the lands of other nations.
7 The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy.
8 They are established for ever and ever,
enacted in faithfulness and uprightness.
9 He provided redemption for his people;
he ordained his covenant forever—
holy and awesome is his name.

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise.

 

 
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Posted by on December 18, 2012 in My God is Trustworthy, Psalm

 

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My God is…to be thanked Psalm 136

22 Nov

Psalm 136 

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.

to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.
who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.
who made the great lights—
His love endures forever.
the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.
the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.

to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt
His love endures forever.
and brought Israel out from among them
His love endures forever.
with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;
His love endures forever.

to him who divided the Red Sea asunder
His love endures forever.
and brought Israel through the midst of it,
His love endures forever.
but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;
His love endures forever.

to him who led his people through the wilderness;
His love endures forever.

to him who struck down great kings,
His love endures forever.
and killed mighty kings—
His love endures forever.
Sihon king of the Amorites
His love endures forever.
and Og king of Bashan—
His love endures forever.
and gave their land as an inheritance,
His love endures forever.
an inheritance to his servant Israel.
His love endures forever.

He remembered us in our low estate
His love endures forever.
and freed us from our enemies.
His love endures forever.
He gives food to every creature.
His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.

Happy Thanksgiving! Yes I’m writing this on Thanksgiving, waiting for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to start, and hours before I make my fruit salad for Thanksgiving dinner at our friends house. Living far from family, we’re very grateful for the family the Lord has given us here.

To Him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.

All month-long I’ve been blessed to read the thanks of my friends on Facebook. People have been sharing such amazing things, and I believe sharing the great wonders that have happened in their lives, blesses others and points us all back to God – His love endures forever.

He remembered us in our low estate
His love endures forever.

We are so blessed that our God cares about us. Often we don’t even properly care for each other. We think that we’re better than others, or that they’re not working hard enough, or they’ve brought their troubles on themselves. Isn’t that true for most of us. OK, some of us may just have bad things happening to them, with no cause in sight, but most of us know why the bad stuff has happened. We know what has led up to our troubles. We have usually put ourselves in the position we’re now going through in life. We are no better or worse than others we meet. We try to justify our position, but the truth is, we may not have handled what they’ve been through any differently than they did. There is one who cares about us no matter the condition of our heart, our mind or our bank account. God has loved us in our low estate. He cares for us no matter what. His love endures forever.

He gives food to every creature. His love endures forever.

It’s hard to talk about Thanksgiving without thinking about food, but what a blessing it is that the Lord provides the food that we need. that he provides it for all who call on his name. For my family and I, more than once we’ve wondered how we were going to make ends meet, but our Lord has always provided us with food and shelter. In our country so many of us are blessed with an abundance of food. Let us remember to thank our Lord for this blessing. His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever.

Our God is good. While you enjoy your big meal, some football and games with the family, remember this day the one who has given it all to you. Give thanks tot the God of heaven. His love endures forever.

 
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Posted by on November 22, 2012 in My God is to be thanked, Psalm

 

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My God is…Reigning Psalm 146:9-10

23 Oct

Psalm 146:9-10 

The Lord watches over the foreigner
and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

The Lord reigns forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.

Politics got you down? 

Election time has got me down. I don’t like politics, and I really hate having political conversations. I guess I’m a cynic (thanks mom). You know how I love words, so I decided to look up and see if I really was a cynic.

cyn·ic [sin-ik]

noun

1. a person who believes that only selfishness motivates human actions and who disbelieves in or minimizes selfless acts or disinterested points of view.
2. ( initial capital letter ) one of a sect of Greek philosophers,4th century b.c., who advocated the doctrines that virtue is the only good, that the essence of virtue is self-control, and that surrender to any external influence is beneath human dignity.
3. a person who shows or expresses a bitterly or sneeringly cynical  attitude.
Yep, I’m a Cynic
I’m sure it has something to do with the way I was raised, but I truly identify with the first definition of Cynic. I usually believe that people are acting selfishly. It reminds me of that friends episode where Phoebe was trying hard to find a way to do a truly selfless act, I guess I’m a bit like Joey in this episode (scary words). Phoebe couldn’t find a truly selfless act. I my cynicism also starts because I know of my own selfishness. I want good things to happen to me. I don’t mind if they happen to other people too, but I want my life to be good.
Cynical about Politicians, but not God
I think every politician has their own agenda, and even if they do have the people’s best interest at heart, eventually they’re all led astray by their own selfish ambition and personal agendas. They may achieve some good, but it always seems coupled with controversy and unkind words for someone of an opposing view. But God is different. God is Good, and our God reigns. He’s the ultimate authority, above all the politicians and rulers of this world.
How God Reigns
What a wonderful thing it is for us as Christians to know that our God reigns. In the verse above, we see His agenda, “The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.” The beauty of it being God who reigns is that he actually knows who is truly wicked. He cares for those others don’t care about. He shows compassion on us even though we are inherently selfish and sinful. We don’t have to worry about who will be elected, because our God reigns. If you think the politician you hate is evil, you can rest assured that if he (or she) is, God has the power to frustrate their actions. We can trust in our good and gracious God to have our best interest at heart and allow us to learn and grow in Him no matter who is in power in our country.
 
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Posted by on October 23, 2012 in My God is Reigning, My God is Sovereign, Psalm

 

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My God is…Worthy Psalm 145:2-4

18 Oct

Psalm 145:2-4
Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.

My God is Worthy of Praise

Worthy of Praise

Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.
One generation commends your works to another;
they tell of your mighty acts.

Definition of WORTHY

1 a : having worth or value : estimable
b : honorable, meritorious
2: having sufficient worth or importance

God is worthy

Worthy. What makes someone worthy? I think I have ranted on before about being deserving, how I don’t like it when good things happen and people say, “They really deserved it.” It is hard for me to rank people according to their worthiness. I believe no one on earth is worthy of anything, except death. We are all sinners, and the wages of sin is death. So who is worthy? God alone is worthy of our praise.

Who is your king?

Tuesday night at my women’s Bible study, we were challenged with the question of, “Who is your king?” We had been looking into the verses on the day of Jesus death, and noted the irony of the Jewish leaders in the passage. They said that Jesus was blasphemous, and that’s why he needed to die. They were trying to convince Pilate that Jesus was truly guilty of a crime worth death. Well, Pilate wasn’t sufficiently convinced, so what did they do? They did just what they accused Jesus of doing…blasphemy. They said that Jesus claimed to be king, and that anyone who claimed to be king was against Caesar. This wasn’t the blasphemous part, but that’s what came next. In John 19:15, Pilate asked, “Shall I crucify your king?” and the chief priests responded with, “We have no king but Caesar.”

Blasphemous? 

We debated for a little bit about whether or not this was really blasphemy. Wasn’t calling Caesar king like us saying we have no president but Barack Obama? Fortunately we have Lynn in our group, who attended seminary. She explained to us that the difference is that the Romans of the time considered Caesar to be a god. They burned incense to him, and praised him like a god. So the chief priests saying that they have no other king means they were putting Caesar above God and hence they were guilty of blasphemy.

Having sufficient worth or importance

In the Psalm above, we see God claimed as worthy to be praised. God has the sufficient worth and importance to be praised. He should be the most important. Does God have worth in your day-to-day life? Does God have sufficient importance in your life. Who is your king?

His greatness no one can fathom

The psalmist backs up his statement of God being worthy of praise with this statement, “His greatness no one can fathom.” In the old testament, they had seen some amazing things that the Lord had done. Maybe they even had a clearer idea of the greatness of God. But God is still at work in our midst. He is still great and worthy of praise.

One generation commends your works to another;
they tell of your mighty acts.

I think one area that I as a Christian parent and a person with influence over my friends children should work on, is pointing out the amazing work God is doing in our lives today and yesterday. We have an opportunity to help the next generation know God more through our testimony of how He has worked in our lives. Can you think of some mighty acts that the next generation should hear about from you?

Here are some of mine:

1. My husband is a Christian. When I met him, he didn’t really confess any sort of faith, but the Holy Spirit worked in his heart and now he is a strong Christian man, living for the Lord. GOD IS WORTHY OF PRAISE

2. My son, who was born with a heart condition, Tetrology of Fallot, had surgery when he was nine months old, and now is expected to never need another surgery for that condition (which others often have many). GOD IS WORTHY OF PRAISE

3. My Multiple Sclerosis doesn’t affect the quality of my day-to-day life. GOD IS WORTHY OF PRAISE

4. God has provided for us when it looked like there was no way to get through another day. GOD IS WORTHY OF PRAISE

5. The Lord has provided the right jobs for me at the right time. GOD IS WORTHY OF PRAISE

6. Despite moving many times, the Lord has provided me with a support system of Christian women. GOD IS WORTHY OF PRAISE

What is of worth or importance to you?

 
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Posted by on October 18, 2012 in My God is Worthy, Psalm

 

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My God is…my king Psalm 145:1-3

11 Oct

Psalm 145: 1-3 I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.

Descended from Royalty

My husband and I went out to dinner with some friends last week, and they told us about a show they like on PBS called, “Finding your roots“. In the show, they trace people’s lineage back quite far using, documents, family history and DNA analysis. We watched one on Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon. Kyra found out that she is related to royalty. Would you be surprised if you found out your family was related to royalty? Would you feel more important knowing your 18th great-grandfather was royalty?

You are Royalty

You’re not just the 18th generation after a king. You’re the adopted sons and daughters of a King, our Lord Jesus Christ. We’re the children of Royalty. What does that mean for us? As adopted children into the family of our God and King, we’re promised eternal life in his palace. We will live with Him forever in paradise. We will know Him. Imagine knowing a King. There are many privileges that come with knowing the King. Our privileges don’t often show up as much on this side of heaven, but our future is secure. We know where we’re going, and that the King has prepared a room for us. We are blessed to be part of His kingdom, and part of the royal family.

What’s expected of you

So many people say that Christians are hypocrites, and I think they’re right. We make big mistakes. We don’t always treat others the way we should. Sometimes we get up on our soapbox or on our high horse and look down at others who don’t know the Lord. What is expected of us as part of God’s royal family? Should we be running around naked, drinking too much and having affairs? That’s how some in a royal family might act, but it’s not what is expected from someone of position. We have a position, and it’s important that we work to reflect our King to the world around us. Not because it gets us into the palace, but because we care so much about the King that we wouldn’t want to tarnish His name. I pray that I am a good reflection of the title Christian.

Do you respect your title?

 
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Posted by on October 11, 2012 in My God is my King, Psalm

 

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